Matthew 6:1-8 Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father whichheaven.
2 Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
3 But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:
4 That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.
5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.
What does it mean “secret”?
Public and open prayer is very much a part of our lie as Christians. Praying publicly and openly for our food as well as for people is an open testimony before the world. Jesus probably had the Pharisee’s’ practice of openly praying so they could be seen and praised by their fellow men as being very pious and respectable. Praying in secret and closing the door would refer to prayed time before God in our hearts and minds without audible voice. It would also mean blocking out all worldly influence and noise that would detract from our focus and attention in praying.
Praying publicly has its place as it did with Daniel – he opened his window toward Jerusalem three times a day to pray. Esther’s praying and fasting seemed to be in secret probably because of the secrecy of her identity and the prejudice there was stirring against the Jews.
Doing alms:
Jesus warned about doing alms openly so other can see – once again probably having the Pharisees in mind who wanted the world to know how good and generous and religious they were. The word alms literally mean benevolence and it the giving of charity to one in need. Jesus instructed His disciples regarding this in Luke 12:33-34. God takes note to those who give alms with the proper attitude. This has a two-fold purpose: helping those who need it and letting go of worldly possessions to please God.
Cornelius showed his attitude toward his fellow man by his giving and his sincerity of seeking to know God (Acts 10:2-4).
Fasting:
Fasting is a religious exercise that has been instituted by God to give the people a reminder of His provision and where He brought them from. The week of unleavened bread was a type of fast – they were not to eat anything that contained leaven. There were regular times of fasting among the Pharisees (Matt 9:14-15). The Pharisees once again fasted in order to be seen and admired by others. Jesus, however, warned not to fast in such a way as they did in order to be seen. The Pharisees and some today fast as a ritual and not for the purpose God designed. God’s design for fasting was three-fold – the one who fasted would need to exercise control and temperance, the one fasting would learn appreciation of the bounty from God after they has fasted, and chains of sin and evil could be broken (Isa 58:6). We know God hears our prayers as we pray according to His will, but thru Isaiah God says Isa 58:4.
Types of fasting:
Most think of fasting dealing only with food. But there are other types of fasting that can be accomplished. A person with physical problems need to be careful of their fasting and may wat to consider other forms of fasting.
Total fast – this is abstinence from food and water – usually not longer than three days. Total food fast can be accomplished for up to forty days.
Partial fast – this would be one to two meals. This may be for one or many days.
Specific fast – this might be abstaining from certain foods that you enjoy most or often.
Other fasts – there can be fasts of pleasurable things such as watching television, playing sports, anything that you feel giving up would be a sacrifice (1 Cor 7:5).
It is always best to have direction from God before going on an extended fast. God has purpose behind fasting and He uses us in the deliverance and salvation of others.
